When most people hear the word “hormones,” their minds automatically go to the sex hormones which regulate fertility, such as estrogen and progesterone. While sex hormones are a vital part of overall health and wellbeing, they are just one subset of what makes up your hormonal system.
In truth, your hormones pretty much run the show when it comes to almost all of the functions in your body. Therefore, keeping your hormones imbalanced translates into keeping your body in balance.
Unfortunately, more and more people are experiencing hormonal imbalances these days due to toxicity in the environment. And one of the biggest offenders is EMFs.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- What EMFs are
- What your hormonal (endocrine system) is
- Which hormones are most significantly impacted by EMFs and how
- What you can do to mitigate EMF exposure and protect your delicate hormonal balance
What Are EMFs?
“EMFs” stands for electromagnetic frequencies, which are electric and magnetic fields that are emitted from your electronic devices.
There are two types of EMFs; ionizing and non-ionizing.
Ionizing EMFs have long been known to cause DNA damage and are typically used in X-Rays (which is why your doctor wears that protective shield or leaves the room while X-Rays are in progress).
Non-ionizing EMFs come from a wide range of sources, including cell phones, laptops, Smart devices, microwaves, WiFi, Bluetooth, and powerlines. While non-ionizing EMFs are weaker than ionizing EMFs, there is a significantly greater amount of them in our environment.
And as the use of electronics continues to grow, there is a growing concern about the impact that high levels of non-ionizing radiation (EMF) have on our health.
While some people claim that these frequencies are harmless, research shows the exact opposite to be true. Along with the many ways in which EMF may impact your health, your endocrine system seems to be particularly vulnerable.
What Is The Endocrine System?
The endocrine system is a vital aspect of human health, as it manages the production and balance of all of your hormones. Put simply, your endocrine system consists of various glands throughout your body that produce and release hormones. These hormones are then recognized by a number of receptors on different organs and tissues.
The various glands and receptors in your body recognize and respond to the different hormones, orchestrating a myriad of physiological activities, including sex hormone balance, stress, metabolism, your sleep-wake cycle, blood sugar, and much more[1].
You can think of hormones as chemical messengers that travel throughout your body to keep everything running smoothly. When the balance of your hormones becomes compromised, it can create a host of issues, ranging from mild to severe.
While each hormone carries out its own unique activity, the endocrine system as a whole works together to maintain the homeostasis of your body. This means that when one hormonal system is off, it will impact the balance of the other hormones. The extent to which this domino effect takes place depends primarily on how long the imbalance is untreated and the severity to which the imbalance is occurring.
How EMF Impacts Your Hormones
At this point, research shows that EMFs can impact almost every hormonal system in your body. This is no surprise, of course, since nothing in your endocrine system happens in a vacuum.
With that being said, it seems as though EMF may target several different glands in your endocrine system instead of primarily messing with one hormonal system and then creating a domino effect.
Due to the widespread imbalances caused by EMF, it can be challenging and somewhat useless to pinpoint a strategy for protecting one system. Instead, the goal must be on mitigating EMF exposure as a whole (which we’ll get into in more detail later).
Here is what we know so far about how EMF impacts your hormones:
#1 Insulin
Insulin is a hormone that’s released by your pancreas to stabilize the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. When you eat a meal, insulin is released to help shuttle the glucose in your blood into your cells to be used as fuel or stored for later.
When insulin is not operating properly, it can lead to hyperglycemia, and a range of other issues as high blood glucose damages your organs and blood vessels. It also directly impacts the metabolism of your food as the fuel you’re consuming is unable to provide energy to your cells. Irregular insulin activity is involved in a number of chronic health conditions, including diabetes, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, and inflammatory conditions[2].
Research shows that exposure to EMFs may decrease the efficacy of insulin, leading to higher levels of glucose in your blood after meals, with all of the potential consequences of high blood sugar[3].
Animal studies suggest that EMFs may directly impact the cells in your pancreas that are associated with insulin production by producing inflammation and inhibiting their activity[4].
#2 Sex Hormones
Infertility is one of the major concerns that people are having these days regarding EMF exposure. In order for your body to be able to produce offspring (whether you’re a man or a woman), your sex hormones must be in the proper balance. The health of your endocrine system plays a vital role in setting you up for optimal fertility conditions.
For men, research shows that the impact of EMFs on the endocrine system can result in decreased sperm count, reduced sperm motility, and higher levels of oxidative damage to the testes[5].
In women, EMFs seem to impact two crucial hormones for ovarian health: luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These two hormones stimulate the ovaries to produce a follicle that contains an egg. They then go on to stimulate the release of an egg from the ovary for fertilization. Without FHS and LH working properly, conception would be nearly impossible[6].
What’s more, FSH and LH play a role in the production of estrogen and progesterone, which are two more hormones that play a vital role in your menstrual cycle. The net result is sex hormone chaos, which is why EMF exposure may be one of the leading issues related to infertility[7].
#3 Cortisol
Cortisol is your stress hormone which is released primarily from your adrenal glands when your body and mind sense a threat in the environment. This hormone is related to your “fight or flight” response, as it helps to drive you into action.
When cortisol remains high for too long, however, its good intentions can turn on you, and it can drive inflammation while suppressing your immune response. It also diverts energy away from digestion. This is why many health professionals believe that chronic stress is at the root of most health issues today.
As a society, most people today are already under enormous amounts of stress, with high cortisol levels becoming more and more common. Unfortunately, research shows that EMF exposure from cell phones can target the adrenal glands, increasing circulating cortisol even more[8].
In addition to its role in inflammation and immune suppression, clinical studies show that high cortisol levels lead to issues with memory, executive function, information processing, and social cognition and may even set the stage for dementia[9][10].
#4 Melatonin
Melatonin, also known as your “sleep hormone,” plays an essential role in your circadian rhythm. Properly functioning melatonin helps you wind down at night, making you sleepy and allowing you to turn off your mind so that your body can rest. As part of your internal clock, melatonin is in charge of your sleep-wake cycle, guiding your body in its innate rhythm.
Melatonin is also a precursor for the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is highly involved in your emotional well-being, along with other neurological activities.
Research shows that EMF exposure can directly impact circulating levels of melatonin by suppressing its production. The downstream effect is poor sleep, inhibited production of serotonin, and potential impact on your sex hormones as melatonin is involved in the regulation of LH ad FSH[10][11].
#5 Thyroid Hormone
Your thyroid hormones are responsible for a variety of physiological functions, including your metabolism, digestion, heart rate, brain development, bone health, and more.
Thyroid hormone production takes place in a couple of steps[12]:
First, your pituitary gland releases TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), which is sent to your thyroid,
Second, your thyroid produces two hormones; T4 and T3.
Research shows that exposure to mobile phones may impact the health of your thyroid and disturb the production of thyroid hormones. Specifically, EMFs seem to increase levels of TSH, which alter the production of T4 and T3[13].
To make matters worse, the health and function of your thyroid hormones are also tightly correlated with your adrenal and sex hormones, which can drive further imbalances in something called the OAT (ovarian-adrenal-thyroid) axis.
Keep Your Hormones In Balance By Mitigating EMF
As mentioned previously, EMFs are everywhere in our environment today. Even in the comfort and privacy of your own home, you’re likely swimming in electromagnetic frequencies.
So what can you do to mitigate this energy when you can’t escape it?
There are several devices on the market that can reduce EMF exposure, such as EMF-blocking stickers and crystals. While these are a great place to start, even if you adorn every corner of your home with an EMF blocking stone, you still need to deal with the world outside your house.
That’s why I recommend a wearable EMF-mitigating device like the Harmoni Pendant. The Harmoni Pendant is a small necklace that was specifically designed to help balance out the impact of EMFs by working directly with your own energy field. Instead of trying to avoid EMF from all of your devices (and the devices of those around you), the Harmoni Pendant works with you no matter where you are and what types of EMF you’re in the presence of.
What’s more, research shows that the Harmoni Pendant can enhance something called heart rate variability. HRV is one of the most valuable markers we have for measuring stress. When HRV is high, we are more resilient to life’s stressors – which means you get to keep your cortisol in balance[14].
Since cortisol (from your adrenals) can impact the balance of your thyroid and sex hormones, this little necklace may produce profound effects physiologically.
Of course, in addition to wearable EMF technology, you should also do your best to reduce EMF exposure by following some of these guidelines:
- Turn your WiFi off at night when not in use
- Keep your cell phone at a distance whenever possible, and if you are home, use your landline instead.
- Put your cell phone on airplane mode when you’re not expecting a call.
- Avoid using your computer when it’s plugged into the wall. Instead, allow it to charge before you pick it up to work.
- Avoid “Smart devices” like Smart Meters, Smart TV, Smart Refrigerators, and so on. If you have a Smart Meter at home, you can request that it be switched out for a manual reader.
- Make your bedroom a device-free zone – no TV, phones, tablets, and so on.
Takeaway
Your hormonal system is an incredibly intricate and delicate machine that functions to keep the processes in your body running steadily and smoothly. When in balance, your hormones help you feel energized, healthy, grounded, and full of vitality. When out of balance, however, your hormones can lead to a range of issues, including (but not limited to) infertility, PMS, fatigue, weight gain, increased stress, inflammation, and more.
EMFs can impact several tissues in your body, but the glands associated with your endocrine system seem to be one of their favorite targets. This is why so many people today complain of brain fog, fatigue, an inability to conceive, and a host of other hormone-induced challenges.
Whether you’re noticing symptoms of imbalance or not, it’s wise to get ahead of potential problems by limiting your EMF exposure as much as possible. In addition to reducing your at-home exposure, investing in a wearable device like the Harmoni Pendant is an excellent way to cover all your bases for those times when you can’t control the EMF environment.
*These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA. The Harmoni Pendant is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, reverse, or prevent any disease. It is not intended to replace any other treatments, medication, or healing modalities that may be prescribed by your medical doctor.
